Nick Tietz, Founder & CEO of ILT Academy, on Entrepreneurial Resilience and Purpose
- Adoption from Colombia and life in Minnesota
- Powerful story of reuniting with his birth mother after 47 years
Podcast
Overview
In this episode of the Leaders Who Care series, host Mark Sadovnick talks with Nick Tietz, the inspiring founder of ILT Academy. Nick’s journey from adoption in Colombia to building impactful organizations offers listeners compelling lessons about perseverance, community, and what real innovation looks like.
00:00:09- Who is Nick Tietz, really?
- Adoption from Colombia and life in Minnesota
- Powerful story of reuniting with his birth mother after 47 years
- The importance of belonging and family support
00:10:23- Was Nick always innovative?
- “Master generalist” mindset: exploring sports, arts, and creative problem-solving
- Early signs of entrepreneurial thinking, but more focused on curiosity and solutions
00:14:59- How did Nick’s unique education and military background influence him?
- Shifting from programming to creative fields
- Naval experience taught him quick thinking and calculated risk-taking
00:20:25- What were the big turning points in Nick’s career?
- Building and losing his first business, and learning from failure
- The role of support networks—and recognizing how lack of support impacts many entrepreneurs
00:24:56- What achievement made the most impact?
- Co-founding a startup helping people with disabilities and law enforcement communicate, saving lives
- Facing tough realities about funding social impact ventures
00:28:34- Why did Nick start ILT Academy?
- Wanting to support non-traditional, often overlooked founders—not just billion-dollar ideas
- Training 700+ entrepreneurs, helping raise $24+ million, and speeding up the learning process
RESOURCES:
Learn more about Nick Tietz: Linkedin
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Profile
- Adoption from Colombia and life in Minnesota
- Powerful story of reuniting with his birth mother after 47 years
- The importance of belonging and family support
